RWBY: Road to Haven
by Jdbl00d
Summary: Times have changed, they can't be just kids anymore. To find answers and stop the spreading shadow, Ruby Rose and her friends now hope to find answers. The road to Haven will be a difficult one. It will take all they've learned, and perhaps a few new friends, to keep moving forward.
1. Journey's Beginning

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, it's been a while since I got to a RWBY fic, considering attachments and other fics that I have been writing. Having a bit of writer's block is bad when there are stories people are following.**

 **Aaaaanyways, I've decided to get going on one I've been having in my head for a bit now. Since the crew at RoosterTeeth have confirmed a timeskip between Volumes 3 and 4, I thought it would be fun to add in a fic that illustrates what our heroes have been going through as it leads up to volume 4. Besides, with the confirmation of new outfits for the whole of team RWBY, I thought it would be good to look into how that may have occurred along the way too. This story is first among my "Timeskip Chronicles" series that I have had ideas for a while now. Hopefully, with Volume 4, I can get better ones.**

 **On a side note, these fics will build upon two other fics I have written in the past. They are 'The Wandering Beacon' and 'Path of Vengeance'. Wandering Beacon takes place after volume 1, while Path of Vengeance is my most recent, taking place straight after volume 3. Now I am not advertising my own fics, but those were stories that in my view had good potential for my OCs to return or at least be referred to. And I'd be lying if I said I hadn't grown attached to them. But that leads to the issue of you, my readers, not really knowing much till you read these other fics as well. You don't have to finish them, but you can get up to speed on what I'm writing about here much better if you do.**

 **For now, hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

The Beowolf snarled as it charged straight for her, hungry for her blood and also angry due to the many others of its pack she had single-handedly destroyed. Raising its paw, it reared up to strike, only for a flash of red to completely remove the clawed limb.

Ruby now flipped over the Grimm and stabbed right through its gut and fired Crescent Rose, the recoil now kicking the blade through the Grimm's body and completely bisecting it. Ruby sailed through the air, landing on her feet as the two halves of the Beowolf landed on the ground, black smoke rising from the corpse as it dissolved away.

Ruby now looked up, surveying the area. Satisfied that no Grimm remained within the area, she sheathed Crescent Rose and walked away from the battlefield.

A roar made her realise how wrong she was. Ruby immediately dived, feeling her elbows and knees scrape by some small rocks. She rolled quickly, avoiding the paw of the huge Ursa that decided to join the skirmish. Quickly drawing the weapon once more, Ruby leapt backwards, firing a few rounds at the Grimm, the high calibre bullets stunning the Grimm.

The Ursa roared in frustration as it lumbered after her, only to stumble as something exploded on its back, a pink puff of smoke and a high pitched squeal announcing the arrival of Nora Valkyrie. The petite girl now landed in front of Ruby, spinning to slam Magnhild into the head of the Grimm. As the Grimm teetered on its feet, Jaune and Ren came up from behind. With the flash of blades, the Ursa was slain, its huge form now crashing forward and beginning to evaporate.

Nora now spun around, shooting Ruby a huge grin. "Done and done!"

"Thanks Nora." Ruby smiled as she kept her weapon.

"Well, I hope that will be enough excitement for a while." Ren said as he sheathed his weapons. Jaune merely breathed a sigh of relief, sheathing Crocea Mors.

Ruby looked upward toward the sky. Orange had already coloured the sky. Ruby checked her scroll, getting the map up. According to the map, they were about a day's away from Keynes, a small town in Mistral. Despite its size, it was quite a prosperous town thanks to the mountainous surroundings that restricted the efficacy of Grimm attacks. Due to this, they had decided it would be a good place to rest and perhaps find a little bit of work as well. Money was tight now that they were on their own, and even doing some official Huntsmen duties were barely enough to get by, but it was sufficient at least. Besides, it would be nice to have a bed to sleep in. As much as she was prepared mentally, Ruby was starting to get uncomfortable with nights out in the wilderness.

"Let's find a place to make camp." Ruby said. "If we get up on time tomorrow, we should be able to make it to Keynes by noon."

"There seems to be a small cave some ways up that hill." Nora said, her eyes squinting through her mock hand-binoculars. "We should be good there."

"Great call Nora." Jaune smiled. "Let's get going, we have a long way to hike."

* * *

Ruby warmed her hands by the campfire, taking a moment to calm down the adrenaline pumping through her system. As she did, she thought back to the time she had her first camp out with her teammates. She trembled slightly as she remembered the peaceful times that were now nothing but history. As much as she wished for those days again, she knew there was no way to bring them back. At the same time, she remembered how she felt, the excitement that ran through her mind as she did what she dreamed to do.

Now with that dream becoming more real than it ever was, she realised how naïve she was.

"So, I'll take first watch." Ruby said as she got up while the others tried their best to get comfortable within the confines of the cave. They had been in luck to find that the cave was quite small with nothing inhabiting it, but it was still necessary to take watch as there was nothing but forest from the entrance of the cave. It wasn't unlikely that a Grimm could just walk in as they were sleeping.

"Ruby, let me do first watch." Ren said. "You've been doing the first shift for the past four days now."

"I'm alright Ren." Ruby reassured him. "You guys just try and get some sleep okay?"

Ren moved to object, but decided against it. The boy merely nodded, walking back to the fire where the rest of his teammates had gathered. Ruby now took her place at the cave entrance, keeping a sharp eye toward anything that might be dangerous. Truth be told, she was exhausted. It wasn't easy being the last to sleep and the first to wake. But right now, she wanted this. After everything that had happened in Beacon three months ago, and everything in between, she often found her mind weighed down. Penny and Pyrrha's deaths, the loss of Professor Ozpin, the dissolution of her team, the loss of Beacon. There was so much to think about in addition to the journey to find Cinder and the rest of her gang that it was difficult to even get sleep. The only thing that appeared to help was collecting her thoughts just before she went to bed, hence her reason for always taking first watch. But it wasn't just her having trouble sleeping.

Just an hour into her watch and she already heard the moaning. Ruby turned to see Jaune tossing and turning in his sleep. Carefully, she could hear him mumbling about Pyrrha, pleading her not to go. Ren and Nora now came over to him, shaking him awake. Jaune now breathed heavily as he realised it was just a dream. No, in more accurate terms, it was a memory. The memory of Pyrrha Nikos throwing him into a locker and setting him off toward the city of Vale, that he might live while she fought on in the hopes she could stop the inevitable. It was even showing in Ren and Nora's faces. Despite their positive thinking, closer inspection would always reveal a shadow in their eyes, no doubt them still trying to come to terms with the loss of their friend.

Ruby turned away to face the forest again, her eyes tearing up slightly as she remembered Pyrrha, knowing she would never see her smile or hear her voice again. She wiped the tears away, knowing that crying wasn't going to bring Pyrrha back, and neither would it keep them safe through the night.

Ruby shivered as a chill went through her limbs. Looking down, she saw that her clothes were torn. Her sleeves had been ripped apart to expose the skin at her elbows and halfway down her right forearm. Her stockings had also been shredded, exposing her knees parts of her shins.

 _From that fight with the Ursa…_ Ruby concluded as she eyed her exposed elbows. That wasn't the worst of the damage. She eyed her shoes, which were now worn down from countless treks through forests. Her blouse was also looking worn, with what appeared to be threads fraying out from her sleeves. Only her skirt had managed to remain unaffected.

She decided it would be best to get some new clothes in due time. Walking around in shredded garments was not a way to be sociable. If Weiss were here, she'd have thrown a fit at the state of her clothes. Ruby's gut clenched as she realised how much she missed her own team. Even with the antics of Jaune, Ren and Nora, it was not enough to replace that of her own team.

Ruby shook the thoughts out of her head. She'd have to worry about that another time. Right now, the survival of their small band depended on her till Ren took over second watch. Taking out Crescent Rose again, she extended the stock and flipped out the scope, eyeing a lone Creep in the crosshairs. Not for one moment did she let up till the Grimm disappeared back into the bush.

* * *

"Ruby… Ruby wake up."

"Huh?" Ruby stirred. "Weiss, five more minutes… Please…"

"Um, it's not Weiss Ruby…" At this, Ruby woke to see Ren stood over her while Jaune and Nora got breakfast ready, a meager portion of bread and jam.

"Oh. Right." Ruby nodded as she got up, grimacing as she brushed her teeth with a worn out toothbrush. As she finished, Jaune went over and passed her a Strawberry jam sandwich.

"Thanks Jaune." Ruby said in response.

"No problem Ruby." Jaune replied with a smile, an obvious mask for the haunted look in his eyes. She knew it wouldn't be easy for him of all people to move on from Pyrrha's death. She was the same when she found out her mother died and it took months before she stopped thinking about it constantly. The only thing she could do was help Jaune along as much as possible.

"Alright, if we just follow the mountain ridges, we should get to Keynes by noon." Nora said as she looked through her scroll. "Just in time for lunch."

"How much do we have for lunch anyways?" Jaune asked, digging through his bag for any Mistral currency.

"Enough for a sizeable meal for all of us." Ren replied. "Hopefully we can find some work and then get us back up on our feet for the next leg of our journey."

"I'm still amazed that we're being allowed to take Huntsmen jobs." Jaune remarked. "You'd think people would be apprehensive about giving us Grimm extermination missions."

Ruby's mind worked as she ate her breakfast. She had to agree with Jaune that it was incredible they were able to find work so easily despite looking so young. Then again, lately she learned age was something that was not completely based on how long one had lived. The last time they took a mission, the Huntsman administrators couldn't even bear to look them in the eye. She wondered what exactly could have happened to them that they now appeared to be deadlier then their age. Perhaps it was their previous interactions with the Blood Hunt Order, a group of vagabond Huntsmen that hunted the Grimm to slake a thirst for revenge. She could still remember the dark nature of Vanessa Sanguinar, the current Maester of the Order and the grim and brutal beliefs she held to. Perhaps they have been passed on to them, even if it was ever so slight.

"Well, at least we can get some money in." Ruby nodded. "We wouldn't have been able to get food otherwise."

"I still miss pancakes…" Nora grumbled.

"Well, we can't exactly carry around flour." Ren answered. "Additionally, we have to spare some for ammo and weapon maintenance."

"It would be nice to get some new clothes soon." Jaune remarked as he regarded his ripped and frayed jeans. "I swear, possibly the reason people think we've seen more than enough for our age is because of how we look like homeless people."

"Agreed." Ren nodded. "We look way too ragged for a bunch of teenagers."

Ruby shrugged. In her mind, it wasn't the worst. If it helped them get work, that was the better. "Well, we ought to get going soon. The faster we get to Keynes, the better off we'll be."

They continued their trek, a rather uneventful day passing them by. For once, Ruby was glad for the peace and quiet that came in the absence of the Grimm. Even Nora was having a fun time it seemed, spreading her hands out and running around, imitating the birds in the sky. Ruby admitted that, even after all they had been through, it was nice to just fool around once in a while. Even Jaune and Ren were giving quiet laughs to themselves.

Then, Nora stopped. Ruby frowned as she approached the teenage girl. "What's wrong?"

Nora pointed forward. Ruby looked up, now seeing that there was a person lying in the middle of the dirt road.

"Oh no…" Ruby gasped as she ran forward as fast as she could, using her Semblence to help her along. As she neared, she could now make out the person's distinct traits. She was a Faunus that was for certain, attesting to the huge green scaly tail that extended out of the back of her waist. The woman also wore an olive green cheongsam dress with orange trimmings and gold patterns in the shape of dragons accompanied with white trousers.

But it was the weapon that Ruby eyed. Upon her back was slung a very long polearm, a dagger-axe by the look of it. It appeared blocky, with the staff widened more than usual and a trigger attached to one side. She wondered what this weapon was capable of.

But then reality kicked in as Ruby shook the woman. "Hey! Are you okay?"

The woman groaned, which triggered relief from Ruby. It seemed she was still alive, but Ruby still checked for any wounds or blood. It didn't look like she was hit by Grimm. Perhaps she was robbed?

"Help… me…" The Faunus moaned.

"Ren! Get the first aid!" Jaune said as they neared. Ren now dug through his backpack, taking out a small white box.

"What kind of injury are we looking at?" Ren asked.

"I don't know!" Ruby replied. "Help me move her so we can look!"

"Got it!" Nora nodded, leaning in to help.

Suddenly, a massive growling could be heared. All of them froze, instantly keeping an eye out for any Ursa that would be nearby. However, as the growling continued, they realised the sound wasn't coming from the forest.

All of them now turned to the Faunus on the ground, where the rumbling was at its loudest.

"Help…" The Faunus moaned. "Need… food… So… Hungry… Can't… move…"

* * *

With some effort, they had managed to bring the Faunus woman along with them to Keynes. Thankfully, the Faunus was loaded with cash, which meant they were able to at least pay for a decent meal. As a show of thanks for getting her to Keynes, the Faunus was more than willing to pay for all their meals.

However, as they sat eating, Ruby wished they had chosen a more private place to have a meal. Granted, it wasn't the four teenagers that looked like they had been to hell and back that the patrons were shocked by. It was the rate at which the Faunus woman was eating.

Rice bowls, chicken drumsticks, whole fish, vegetable dishes or burgers. It didn't matter what was piled onto the table, the Faunus woman scarfed it down at lightning speed. Compared to their own bowls of rice and the three side dishes, the Faunus was eating the fill of at least twenty people single-handedly.

"And I thought Nora could eat…" Jaune gulped as the Faunus grabbed a whole plate of fried rice and lifted it over her mouth, gobbling the food down as if it was as easy as breathing.

"Um…" Ruby attempted to get a word in to the Faunus. It was only appropriate they thanked the woman who was kind enough to pay for their food, though she was 'inhaling' food so quickly it was a challenge to do so. As she finished the last dish, the woman slammed the plate down on the table, heaving a satisfied sigh.

"Whew…" The Faunus smiled. "Boy that was the best meal I've had in ages!" Looking up to face them, she put her palms together and bowed her head. "Thank you for the meal! And thank you kids for getting me here! I'd have starved to death otherwise!"

"Uh, your welcome. I guess…" Ruby blinked. "So uh, if you don't mind me saying… Well, thanks for paying, but who are you exactly?"

The Faunus looked up. "Oh, where are my manners?" Standing up, she extended a hand. "Diana Urodel! Just an average wandering Huntress, graduated from Beacon quite some years ago!"

"You were from Beacon too?" Ruby gasped.

"Huh? Yeah I was." Diana replied. "Wait, you guys are also from Beacon? What are you doing all the way out here? You guys graduated already? Wow, Huntsmen these days must be badass if Ozpin is letting you guys go into the field this early…"

"Um…" Ruby started, but wasn't sure how to respond.

"Actually Diana…" Ren began with a calm look. "There's something you ought to know." Slowly, Ren recounted the events at the end of the Vytal festival, leading up to the Grimm invasion and the Battle of Beacon. As he ended with the destruction of Beacon tower and Ozpin's disappearance, Ren's eyes fell, along with the rest of his teammates.

"And that's why we are out here." Ruby finished. "We are looking for those responsible for what happened. We have to. We have lost friends and teammates, and those who survived have also lost something else, so we have to find answers, for all their sakes…"

Diana's face fell as she sat back down, taking in the gravity of the situation. "I… I'm sorry, about all of it. If I had been there, maybe I…"

"It isn't your fault Diana." Jaune said. "None of us were prepared for it."

"Well, I must say though, you have guts to come out like this." Diana nodded as she looked up again. "I really wonder what they make kids out of these days. But now that I know the CCT is down, it explains loads of things. I've been trying to call my old teammates in like, forever but nothing has worked! Then again, when you are away from civilisation that long…"

"Huh, when you said you were a wanderer, you weren't joking." Ren chuckled. "But who are your old teammates?"

"Only one of the best teams to graduate from Beacon!" Diana smiled as she pulled up a photo. Upon the photo were four Faunus teens. They recognised Diana in the middle. To her left was a Faunus wearing a red coat over a white shirt and pants, with his white hair combed in a spiky manner, though he did not bother hiding his fangs and claws. To Diana's right were two very familiar faces that Ruby had seen before. The furthermost right was a cocky looking boy with wolf ears sprouting from his head and wearing a black coat. Hefted on his shoulders was a very long and broad zweihander with a handle in the mid-section of the blade. The last was a squirrel Faunus who wore a tank top that exposed her midriff accompanied with black shorts and two tonfa weapons on her hands.

"Team WNDR…" Diana smiled. "The only team comprised entirely of Faunus."

"You are Wesley and Nicole's teammate!?" Ruby gasped, triggering surprise from Diana.

* * *

 **And there it is. I've always wanted to find out how to get a lizard based Faunus into a fic in a more obvious way. After seeing the ideas of other fans, I think sticking with just a reptile tail for Diana, my OC, was the best way to go.**

 **If you are wondering, Diana's name comes from the scientific name of the Salamander family of amphibians, though her behavior as you have seen is similar to a komodo dragon, considering her gluttonous nature. For just a little FYI, komodo dragons eat ANYTHING they can get their jaws on, even bone. As someone from Asia, I was wondering how to put something like that into RWBY, and so after much deliberation, Diana Urodel was born. Why I named her based on Salamanders however, that's something you'll find out later.**

 **For now, I hope you have enjoyed this little read. Do comment on anything.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	2. Seniors and Juniors

**Apologies on the long hiatus. Work has been keeping me busy as of late and getting the next chapter done hasn't been any easier.**

 **But for now, here is chapter 2. Once more, read and comment**

* * *

Ruby sat down on the bed, finally able to take her boots off. She rubbed the soles of her feet, relieved to find there were no blisters forming.

She still couldn't believe it. They had encountered an alumnus of Beacon academy, and a member of team WNDR, one of the most powerful graduates of Beacon back in the day. Ruby wondered exactly how loaded Diana was that she could afford a few rooms in the Keynes inn for a couple of nights. There was definitely more to the lizard Faunus than met the eye.

"You guys have met Wesley and Nicole?" Was the Faunus's response the minute Ruby recognised her old team.

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "My team helped them out with a case in Vale before. They were quite, eccentric…"

Diana scoffed. "Nicole maybe, but not Wesley. Wes is nothing but a pervert. You know how many times he tried to hit on me during our first year?" At that point, Ruby remembered Wesley Snide's tendencies to flirt with pretty much any woman he could lay his eyes on. She remembered how he tried early on to seduce all of team RWBY. Only the intervention of his partner Nicole Tamias was enough to stop his advances, but only temporarily.

"I remember them." Ruby sniggered. "I swear, Wesley would have had fun with my uncle Qrow."

"Qrow?" Diana perked up again. "As in Qrow Branwen? He was one of our seniors!"

Ruby now remembered the surprise she had registered when she found out how team WNDR was close friends with her uncle's team, which registered even more surprise when Ruby mentioned her connection with the majority of team STRQ. _What a small world_. She thought to herself as she walked out of a very well needed shower.

Ruby now slipped on the normal shirt and pants the staff was kind enough to supply while her clothes were being put through the wash. Ruby fell back down onto the bed, relieved to be able to sleep on a soft mattress again, even if only temporarily. Months of fighting and living on the road made her realise how tough the life of a Huntress could be.

Ruby instead got up and walked to the door, opening it and continuing downstairs to the lounge area of the inn where Diana sat. The sun had already begun to set, casting an orange-red glow in the skies. The inn was filled with more people now, those who had clocked off after a hard day's work and chose to enjoy their spare time drinking beer and making banter with fellow townsfolk of Keynes.

Diana was at the centre of it all, chugging down glasses of freshly brewed beer, which Ruby had heard was one of Keynes's most impressive exports. The audience cheered as she finished what had to be her fourth pint, slamming the empty mug down on the table and cheering loudly.

"ALRIGHT!" Diana yelled. All around her, men were laughing while others were groaning as they placed coins into the hands of others. No doubt they had bet the Faunus wouldn't be able to handle the liquor. Ruby giggled slightly as she noticed Diana clap the hands of other patrons before spotting her and making her way over.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Diana frowned.

"Couldn't sleep." Ruby shrugged. "I think I may still have some adrenaline left in me."

"Well, a rough life can be like that, especially if it is way before you are ready for it." Diana nodded.

"I always thought how awesome it would be to be a Huntress." Ruby said as she and Diana walked over to a quieter area. "Just like the heroes in story books, to fight with everything they have and gain nothing in return except gratitude. Now, it all seems just like stories…"

Diana frowned as she absorbed the information. "I know this sounds very personal, and you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But tell me what happened back at Beacon. Ren told me the gist of it all, the White Fang, this Cinder Fall, that Grimm dragon and Ozpin going missing. But I want to know what you saw at the time."

Ruby swallowed for a bit, not sure how to start. For so long had it been gnawing at her mind, but she had forgotten it enough to not let it affect her. At least, not when she was awake. But upon closing her eyes, almost every night was filled with memories of the many horrible things she had seen from the Vytal festival.

"I know it isn't my place to say." Diana spoke up again, gaining her full attention. "But sometimes, the only way to move forward is to get these off your chest."

Ruby mulled it over for a little while, now oblivious to the cheers and cajoles that filled the background. It all seemed like a muffle to her as she plucked up the courage and began.

"It was since my sister's fight with a guy named Mercury Black." Ruby began. "She got disqualified for hurting him only she didn't. He faked it all with his partner, a woman named Emerald Sustrai. It wasn't long before I learned they were with Cinder pulling the strings behind it all. After that, two people I knew got matched in a fight. Pyrrha Nikos; Jaune, Ren and Nora's teammate and my friend Penny. During that time, Pyrrha must've been tricked or something, as she destroyed Penny…"

"Destroyed?" Diana arched an eyebrow.

"Penny was a robot." Ruby answered, gaining a shocked blink from Diana. "A prototype synthetic user of Aura made by Atlas. Nobody knew but me, though I think Cinder found out. Metal versus a polarity Semblance and, well…" At this, Ruby teared up. "She got torn apart, right before my eyes Diana. And that's when everything went wrong. Grimm attacked, the White Fang invaded and Atlas machines got taken over."

"I tried to stop them. Everyone did, but it cost us so much." Ruby was sobbing now, but only slightly. "Pyrrha tried to stop Cinder, and I tried to help her, but I was too late. I watched as Cinder put an arrow through her and she died. My sister, Yang, tried to save Blake from the White Fang but, she lost her arm in the process. And then Blake left, which just crushed Yang completely. I would ask Weiss, but her father took her home to Atlas because he felt it was safer there. With my team fallen apart, I decided to team with Jaune and the rest to find answers. But honestly Diana, it's been _hard_. I can't sleep easily anymore and neither can they. And we haven't gotten leads anywhere in our search…"

Ruby now blinked her eyes, causing tears to stream down her face. "I… I don't know what to do Diana…"

Diana stared back without saying a word. After a minute or so of contemplation, the Faunus stood up, but not before instructing Ruby to wait for her. Ruby nodded, trying to calm herself down before she felt Diana return, hearing two loud _plonk'_ s. She looked up to see that Diana had returned, with two full mugs of Keynes beer.

"You are eighteen now right?" Diana asked.

"Uh, fifteen." Ruby answered awkwardly. "Actually, sixteen now. Ozpin let me in early by two years."

"Did he now?" Diana frowned as she pushed the mug to Ruby. "Well then, better now than later."

"Uh…" Ruby frowned as she stared at the beer mug. "Am I supposed to drink that?"

"Look, sometimes the best way to drown your sorrows is to drink it up." Diana said. "Worked for me and Wesley any day of the week. And in all honestly, you really could use it."

Ruby frowned as she eyed the alcoholic beverage, the yellow liquid bubbling upwards into a white foam. She heard many stories about what too much alcohol would do and her father even told her that she could only drink when she was over sixteen. She was quite apprehensive about drinking it. Still, she wondered how well it would work.

Reaching for the mug, she brought it up to her mouth and took a big gulp. Ruby sputtered upon tasting the astringent taste of the cold beer. "Wow… That was something."

"It takes getting used to." Diana nodded as she took three gulps. "For your first time, you ought to take it slow though. I assume you've already seen what happens to Wesley when he goes waaaay over?"

"Oh yeah." Ruby nodded as she took another swig. "His whole office was a shambles."

"So anyways…" Diana started speaking again. "Feeling better?"

Ruby stared at the beer, watching as the foam collected again. "A little, I think? It's just, I have a bad feeling that it takes more than just this drink…"

"Well, the drink just helps you relax." Diana said. "But to the root of the matter, I want to show you something." Diana now pulled out the old photo of team WNDR, pointing to the last member. "This here is my partner for four years, Reigel Panthera. He's a rare kind of Faunus, a white tiger, hence the teeth and claws."

"He looks tough." Ruby nodded as she took another swig. She felt her neck start to heat up, but paid it no mind.

"He is." Diana nodded as her eyes sparkled, no doubt remembering many fond times. "He was always trying to keep the group together as best he could, since Wesley couldn't do jack about that. Pretty much he alone made up the sense of our whole team."

"Huh." Ruby blinked as she took another sip. "Kinda like how Weiss is for me."

"Everyone has that at some point." Diana nodded. "But during our third year, when we were on a mission, things just went wrong. We were meant to escort a bunch of people to a nearby village. When the Grimm attacked, we fended them off. But you know what some people are like. They didn't take too kindly that we were Faunus. And that hostility ended up drawing more Grimm. A really big Ursa nearly got to the caravan. That's when Reigel made the choice to throw himself between a kid and the Ursa's paw."

"Long story short, he was crippled." Diana said as her eyes clouded over slightly. "His left arm was broken in three places and his right shin was crushed. He was bed-ridden for three whole months."

Ruby now thought about Yang, who was also crippled in her own way. "So, what did he do?"

"Well, for about two months he just sat around and did nothing. He requested for no visitors, no letters. Not a lot we could do about that." Diana recalled. "I was sure he just wanted some quiet to himself, just trying to figure a way forward. Then one day, we got told a doctor showed up and asked if he wanted to get prosthetics fastened to him. It wasn't going to be the same and it would take getting used to, but he could be a Huntsman again, like he wanted. Reigel didn't hesitate for a second." Diana now pulled out a second picture, and Ruby could see Reigel, standing alone in a hallway with his metallic limbs in full view.

Ruby studied the picture, wondering if there was something like that for Yang. "Doesn't he find it weird? Like he lost something?"

"At first it was." Diana nodded. "But he said that it didn't matter. Even if they weren't real, they could still do what he wanted them to. He could run, he could lift things, he could fight. In the end, as long as he accepted them for what they were, there wasn't any difference."

Diana now closed the scroll. "The point I'm saying is that people need ways to deal with such big things. It sure as hell isn't easy to do it, but once you find the strength to accept what has happened, how to change it, and continue on, you'll definitely be able to move forward. And I'm sure someone with a big heart like you can do so much more than that. And that goes for your team too."

Ruby smiled slightly. "Thanks Diana. That means a lot."

"Hey! No problem! Just helping a junior out!" Diana smiled as she gulped down the remainder of her drink.

Ruby did the same, and as she stood up, she suddenly felt woozy. "Whoa… That is weird…"

"Well, that's what I call new blood." Diana smirked. "You'll get the hang of it, trust me."

"Uh… huh…" Ruby droned, getting a weird look from Diana. "I think I'm going to go to bed now…" She turned, swaying on her feet slightly. "I feel like I'm floating…"

"Oh boy…" Diana sighed as she moved to steady the young girl. Slowly, she walked Ruby back up to her room, laying her down on the bed as the girl's eyes fluttered close. Ruby finally drifted off to sleep, and for once in a long, long time, her mind was empty of all her burdens.

* * *

Diana went out just as night fell, covering Keynes in darkness. She felt slightly hot thanks to the alcohol, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. For now, she wanted to keep her mind off the clamour of partying and focus on what she just found out.

She still couldn't believe that Beacon had fallen. It was a second home to her, with hundreds of fond memories. She hadn't been back in a long time and she had planned on returning. Now it seemed she wouldn't be doing so for a while till things got sorted.

Something snapped in the darkness behind her. She didn't go into battle mode immediately. She already had a feeling who it was.

"Hello Qrow." Diana greeted. "I see you're still the same as ever. Always very elusive."

From the shadows, the older Huntsman walked out, a wry look upon his face. "You were always the sharper one among team WNDR. Glad to know that hasn't changed."

Diana now turned to face the man, a frown crossing her features. "How is Glynda doing?"

"Goodwitch is fine." Qrow answered. "Maybe a little more stressed considering the added workload in restoring parts of Vale and how she's going to care for the many students that now are unable to study or train. But you know what she's like, that ain't getting her down."

"I doubt it." Diana nodded. "I see you haven't exactly come clean with your niece about following her. You know, if anyone didn't know better, they'd make you out to be a paedophile."

"You've got one hell of an imagination there Diana." Qrow smirked.

"Still, didn't think you'd all settle down like that." Diana replied as she looked to the second floor, where Ruby's room was. "She's Summer's kid isn't she? She's got her mom's eyes."

"Yeah." Qrow nodded. "Kid has got a lot of fight in her. Though sometimes, it needs to be re-kindled."

"Everyone needs that once in a while." Diana stated. "Everyone has got a breaking point. Me, Reigel, you…"

"Ozpin?" Qrow asked as he arched an eyebrow.

"He's the only one I'm still trying to figure out." Diana glared back. "But enough idle chatter. Why are you here Qrow? Wherever you show up, problems get real really fast, so out with it."

"Not one for small talk eh?" Qrow took out his flask and took a swig. "I'm sure you are aware of the perpetrators of the Vytal festival fiasco?"

"You want me to look for them huh?" Diana frowned. "Well, I suppose I'm up for the challenge."

"And one more thing." Qrow spoke once more. "Dig up anything you can about the White Fang. Positions, camps, storage sites."

"Intending to cause some trouble?" Diana asked him.

"Just crippling them as much as we can." Qrow nodded. "We can't go after their recruitment centres, it's too sensitive for such operations and we'll only make them the victims. It'll only worsen things in the long run."

"And how will I contact you about any of this?" Diana frowned as she waved her Scroll. "The CCT being down isn't exactly very helpful."

"I'll find a way." Qrow smirked. "Like I always do."

"Sure thing." Diana nodded. "And maybe when this is over, you treat me to a couple pints. And don't even think about getting that cheap crap. I'll know if you do."

Qrow sheepishly threw his hands up. "Hey, I wouldn't dare."

As Qrow turned to walk away, Diana hefted her polearm and threw it into his path, the weapon landing smoothly upright. Qrow now stopped, staring at the circular end of the staff.

"Answer me a few things first Qrow." Diana asked, and Qrow could now feel the glare boring into his back. "Number one, what are you planning?"

"I can't say much more." Qrow answered. "I'm more than certain that our every move is being watched. Even with all the careful planning that Ozpin had, we got one-upped, hard. They got the drop on us, and we can't afford that again.

Diana now walked over to the weapon, wrenching it out of the ground. "Number two, if our moves are so predictable, why me?"

"You get around a lot." Qrow answered. "You hear things, you get things done. And first and foremost, you are hard to find, just ask that old rich family you were born into. When you want to disappear, it happens. I doubt most of our enemies will even know where you will be at any given time, so you'll be amongst the best I know at this job."

"Fair point." Diana nodded as she fastened the weapon to her back. "Number three, got word to the rest of us yet?"

"I'm tracking Wesley and Nicole." Qrow nodded. "I intend for them to get their own stuff together. As for Reigel, I've got something else he might be able to help with."

Diana, appearing satisfied with the answers, walked back to the inn. As she made it halfway, she turned and spoke again. "And lastly, number four. What about the kids?"

"I'm sure they'll be tagging along with you." Qrow nodded. "At least till the next town they are making for. Till then, I'm counting on you to look after them."

"I'm harder to find when I'm alone you know?" Diana said. "Can't have people yapping about me."

"I'll make sure they don't talk about you." Qrow nodded. "Just take care of them."

"Alright then. Remember the pints." Diana sniggered as she walked back into the inn. Qrow waited till the door closed before he made his way back into the shadows, disappearing into the night. Seconds later, a crow flew out of the brush, cawing as it took to the skies.


	3. Tumultous Road

Ruby awoke to a fresh day in Keynes. It was a rather uneventful morning save for a small note that she found at her window. Upon opening it, it read:

 _Keep quiet about Diana, Qrow._

Ruby's eyes widened as she read the note. Before long, she scrambled to the window, looking for any signs of her uncle, only to give up after a few seconds. She knew that her uncle was near impossible to get hold of, though it was a massive shock that he had been tailing her. Had he been doing it since they left Patch? Ruby frowned as she contemplated the situation. If that was the case, perhaps he had some clues as to where their foes were located.

Ruby groaned in frustration as she dismissed it easily. If her uncle wasn't willing to come out into the open, there was no way he would be willing to let her find him. As she proceeded to get ready for the day, she grumbled over how she would make contact. And once she could, she'd wring his neck for him to spill the answers.

She made her way down to the lounge, where breakfast was now being served. Diana had already anticipated it and ordered a decent meal. Ruby saw as Nora drooled over the pancakes that were now heaped upon the plate she had, with Ren eyeing her closely as she reached for the syrup, no doubt wishing to prevent another pancake and syrup incident.

As she sat down, Jaune leaned in closely. "Got the note?" He whispered. Ruby frowned as she realised that she wasn't the only one to have had a visit.

"Yeah." Ruby whispered back.

"Alright kids! Don't hold back! It's all on my tab!" Diana said as she puffed her chest out proudly. "Those are from my winnings last night!"

"What winnings?" Ren asked suspiciously.

"Do know Ren that I won this through legal means." Diana smiled.

"I don't know whether Diana is just loaded or if she has good luck…" Jaune said as he ate, a good helping of toast and bacon with some baked beans.

"I doubt we'd be able to ask…" Ruby whispered back as she too tucked into the food, the best she'd had in weeks. "Anyways, we should focus on the next step of the journey." Ruby said, catching the attention of the others. "It's still a pretty long way to Haven. I was hoping to get to the town of Lumen. We should be able to get a caravan from there to the other main cities."

"Sounds good." Jaune nodded. "We could also earn a bit of a buck from the journey."

"True." Ren agreed. "I'm sure they would be more than happy to have a few fighters helping out, even if we are just kids."

"What a coincidence." Diana smiled. "I'm headed there too. It's not totally obvious, but Lumen has a very good underworld where you can get loads of info. Maybe I can tag along with you lot?"

"Sure! The more the merrier!" Came Nora's enthusiastic reply.

"It would be ideal for us to have someone well versed in negotiating with a criminal underworld." Ren nodded in agreement. "We don't have a lot of experience regarding that."

"Wonder how much they'll know about the White Fang." Jaune said, making sure to keep his voice down. "We've caught wind of a few of their operations, but nothing very major."

"Well, those freaks are rather careful of what they are up to." Diana nodded. "Despite all the hatred they have of humanity, they know how to at least think rationally. And they are tenacious. They've turned all their experience of oppression into an undying will to lose. They will stop at nothing till they get what they want."

"They will use any means necessary…" Ruby nodded. "Those guys dropped Grimm straight into Beacon before running amok all over. They didn't care whether the Grimm would turn on them first or not."

"They are a dangerous factor now." Diana said. "One that cannot be ignored. So that's why I'm going to Lumen as well, to find out more about them. Maybe I can even dig into their secret holdouts."

"So what are we waiting for?" Jaune said, eager to take action. "We should get going as soon as possible."

"Agreed!" Nora grinned in response.

"Woah, slow down tiger." Diana said. "While I admire your courage, there are loads of things we need to prepare for here first. The real reason I'm here was to report for a job of mine, an escort for a bunch of traders heading down to Lumen. They will be leaving in a day's time, so if you want to join me, I don't mind."

"Hold up, you were on a mission when we found you?" Ruby gaped. "But, what would have happened if we didn't get you to Keynes in time?"

"Ehehehe…" Diana smiled sheepishly. "Well, I always try to keep myself well stocked on food supplies. I just got unlucky with a bunch of Grimm that showed up. I thought I could get to Keynes in time but we all know how that turned out…"

The four teens now stared at each other wondering exactly how it was that Diana was able to travel on her own, seeing that she could make such a mistake. Thinking back to how Diana's former team leader Wesley Snide could behave, Ruby now concluded that Team WNDR had to be well known for its little bits of dysfunctionality.

"Buuuut, I'm all the more confident about this little trip!" Diana grinned. "After all, I could have them help me with my food supplies! As long as I can eat, I'll be fine! But if you are so worried, maybe you can help me out with my job? I'll split the reward money equally between you guys so all's fair and good, right?"

"Uh, we don't want to impose…" Ruby said.

"Oh don't worry about it!" Diana replied. "After all, you guys are travelling a lot. You'll need every ounce of cash you can scrounge up."

"She is right." Ren agreed as he did the logistics in his head. "We are running quite low on supplies. We have to get at least some food stores, we are starting to run out. Ammo is starting to run dry too."

"And it would be nice to get some new clothes." Jaune mentioned as he regarded his ripped jeans. Nora also nodded as she took a look at her own clothes, frowning as she saw the smudges on her top and the torn edges of her vest.

"Well, the payoff from this one is really good." Diana nodded. "Clients are among those large rich families heading down there. It ought to get you on your feet really nice by the end, if we succeed."

"Aright then." Ruby nodded. "If Diana is okay with it, then there shouldn't be a problem. We can solve our money problems and get to Lumen at the same time. For now, let's take inventory and get ourselves ready."

* * *

It was an hour before Diana's clientele showed up. It was a rather large convoy by any standards, with 5 whole carts of people. Ruby had to wonder what sort of traders they were and what they dealt in. And then she had to wonder, what would make the need for a Huntsman escort so necessary.

"You must be Ms. Urodel!" Said the client, a bearded man with a cheerful smile. Ruby had to appreciate that at least he was treating Diana well. Already the majority of the caravan had regarded Diana with an animosity that didn't appear to be dying down soon. Ruby wondered if they had bad experiences with Faunus in particular for them to regard one they hadn't met before with such hostility.

"Well, I am glad you managed to be here on time!" Diana's client said. "With the recent rise in Grimm attacks, I was worried that our journeys would be too perilous! But thankfully you were there to accept my request!"

"Not at all!" Diana replied cheerfully. "I mean, all in a day's work for me."

"And who might these be?" The man now glanced at the four teens. "Your protégés?"

"Something like that." Diana smiled. "They were from the same Huntsmen academy I went to. I'm a super senior to them I guess."

Ruby had to admit Diana had quite the silver tongue. She made good conversation with the man despite the hostile looks directed at her. No doubt Diana had a good way to relate to others.

"Well, as much as I enjoyed this conversation, I think it'd be best if we got this underway?" Diana asked, hefting her polearm.

"Of course! We have a schedule to keep after all!" The bearded man nodded before moving to the cart. "Saddle up gentlemen! We leave now!"

The rest of the caravan nodded, getting ready to move out. They paid no heed to Diana or the rest of them, merely carrying on with their work. As they had discussed, Ruby and Jaune kept themselves near the rear of the group with Nora and Ren at the front, Diana staying within the middle so as to be able to support either side where it was necessary. At once, the caravan set off, and the Huntsmen readied themselves for a journey that would no doubt be filled with turmoil.

* * *

For a whole three hours, there was little activity along the road. Ruby now watched as the caravan stopped for lunch. Ruby frowned as Diana opened her rucksack and took out a myriad of food products, no doubt for her to finish on her own. Even the villagers gaped as she consumed the food at lightning speed.

"I really wonder where it is that these old Huntsmen get all these strange habits…" Jaune frowned as he recalled the many odd things done by Dr. Oobleck and Professor Port during their time in Beacon. Ruby nodded in silent agreement, wondering if such things were a shared thing among this generation of Huntsmen. Then again, she did wonder if she had her own quirks that may have been more prevalent now had it not been for the events in the past few months.

As Ruby finished up, a rustling in the bushes caught her attention. Slowly, she placed her hand on Crescent Rose, her eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. She spotted it again, the shaking of the leaves in the brush nearby. Ruby drew Crescent Rose, the weapon shifting into its scythe form. She tensed as whatever caused the rustling got nearer and nearer.

She jumped as a wild rabbit hopped out of the bushes, startling Jaune and the nearby villagers. Ruby watched as the animal regarded her with curiosity before hopping away. Ruby sighed and shook her head, astounded how she was so worked up over such a thing.

The she heard the howls, as did everyone else. Ruby once more hefted her weapon, her mind already wondering how many Beowolves were on the way.

"Get into the carts!" Ruby called out. "Hurry!" As the villagers moved, another roar sounded. Ruby watched as a Beowolf lunged straight at her from the cover of the undergrowth. She torqued backward, her scythe blade slicing upward and impaling the Grimm in its head. She watched as its eyes went dark, the body evaporating seconds later.

Ruby turned her attention back to the bushes, the forms of Beowolves now noticeable through the undergrowth. She aimed, firing rounds at any of the Grimm. A few shots missed, some hit the Grimm square on while others only grazed them.

Explosions sounded from further down. No doubt Nora and Ren had already come under attack and were doing their utmost to repel the monsters. She watched as Jaune cut down one whilst wounding another, the crippled creature being finished off by a villager's rifle.

"Jaune! We need to get them moving!" Ruby called out as she fired at more Beowolves closing in. "They are sitting ducks here!" As she turned away, she watched as an Alpha charged straight at her, swiping with its paw. Raising Crescent Rose in defence, she felt the force of the strike push her backward, her back slamming into the cart right behind. The Beowolf advanced, swiping at her again, this time gouging out a section of the cart as she dodged out of the way. She could now hear the screams of the villagers inside as they stared straight at the monster, who now decided they were an easier meal than having to deal with Ruby herself. Ruby however reacted quickly, kicking the Grimm away.

"Hurry!" Ruby yelled to the carts in front. Quickly, they begun forcing their horses forward, the animals neighing as they pulled the carts onward. Ruby now turned her attention to their attackers, many of which had now charged out of the undergrowth and started to surround her. Ruby panted as she eyed all of them, alert for any to give the first move.

The one to her left pounced first, a guttural roar escaping its throat as it charged her. Ruby leapt upward, her Semblance giving her the speed to escape its attack. She turned down, putting a round through its head, the recoil now propelling her upwards.

As Ruby tried to land however, an unseen force struck her in the gut. She crashed to the earth, groaning as she recovered. Looking up, she saw that a Beowolf was holding some sizeable rocks in it paws. The creature had used them as makeshift projectiles! She rolled as it threw them once again, avoiding the rocks but now falling prey to the others. Ruby groaned as she tried to keep them off her, using Crescent Rose's recoil to push herself out of the way, groaning as she felt her back scrape the earth below. Using her Semblance, she charged at another, hoping to break free of the encirclement. However, it reacted quickly, striking her as she soared overhead. Ruby felt the wind go out of her as she once again hit the ground. She struggled to stand, raising Crescent Rose and wondering how she would even get out of this.

Then, fire engulfed the area. The Beowolves howled as the flames caught on their fur, their bloodlust momentarily overcome by pain.

"You good over there Ruby?" Came a voice. Ruby turned to see Diana walking toward her, her dagger-axe drawn. The bladed section of the weapon had rotated to become parallel to its length, a small flame dancing at the tip. A Beowolf now charged from behind. Diana spun and knocked it away with her weapon, pointing the tip toward the Grimm. With a squeeze of the trigger, a torrent of fire enveloped the Beowolf, its cries of agony continuing till it dropped and lay still.

"Wow… A flamethrower…" Ruby gasped in amazement.

"And that's not all I can do." Diana grinned as another leapt at her. She flipped backward and as she did, a small flame that remained on the ground shot straight at the Grimm, exploding off its body and knocking it to the ground. Once her feet touched the ground, she twirled her weapon, the blade now shifting perpendicular so as to stab a Grimm that had come from behind. Pivoting on the slain creature, she sent a whirlwind of flame at a trio who had closed in, setting their fur ablaze.

Ruby watched in amazement as Diana danced through the flames she fired from her weapon, throwing them around at any Grimm she could see while using her dagger-axe in close range. Soon realising the battle was lost, the Grimm retreated into the bushes again.

Diana huffed, satisfied that the attack had been stopped. She brushed the dust off her clothes as she straightened and kept her weapon. "AND DON'T COME BACK!" She bellowed.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the late updates. I've been trying to catch up with many things in recent weeks. Cyber Sleuth is not going to play itself after all.**

 **At any rate, we are about halfway through this story. I didn't want to make this one so long since there isn't a lot of time left before Vol. 4 comes out. On a side note though, I think you understand my rationale for naming Diana the way I did.**

 **Once again, please read and comment.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	4. Make-Up Class

Ruby breathed with satisfaction as she finished dinner, a stew Ren had managed to cook up with the villager's supplies. The villagers were more than happy to share the rewards of Ren's culinary skills, with the children happily playing around them. Some even made garlands of flowers as a show of thanks to the Huntsmen protectors who had defeated the Grimm without allowing for a single casualty.

"Wow Ren! Your food is good anytime of the day!" Diana smiled as she gulped the stew down. "I'll never forget it!"

"Thanks Diana. I'm glad someone likes my cooking unlike _some_ people." Ren now shot a frown at Nora, who noticed it and replied with a scowl.

"Your cooking is fine, except that weird vegetable concoction!" Nora pouted. "You're supposed to feed people not poison them!"

Ruby chuckled at the bickering between Nora and Ren, while Jaune looked on with a melancholic expression. No doubt he would be remembering the time he had spent with Pyrrha, just before her final match in the Vytal festival that sparked a huge battle that had claimed Beacon. She wondered if he was still hurting before he started to chuckle himself as Nora attempted to feed Ren grass, which she possibly used as a reference of Ren's unusual drink recipes. It seemed he had begun coping with past events.

Ruby now stood up and walked off, hoping to stretch her legs and also think things through. Once she felt she was far enough that nobody would notice did she begin.

As in, begin venting her frustration out on a nearby tree. She kicked the roots with the toe of her boot. A second later, she realised how bad an idea it was, as the pain now shot through her feet. She squealed-softly-as she bent low and grabbed her foot.

"Is it really a habit of yours to beat yourself up after every fight?" Ruby now turned to see Diana standing behind with a lopsided look on her face. Ruby met her gaze for a few seconds before her eyes fell to the ground again.

"I messed up Diana." Ruby said.

"Did you now?" Diana asked. "From what I saw, you did great. You bought enough time for the villagers to get to safety."

"But I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Ruby answered bitterly. "I couldn't even handle that pack of Beowolves. Everything I tried just ended up failing, my current skills, my Semblance. They all just seem so useless right now…"

"Hmm…" Diana frowned as she came over and sat down. "So, what is the issue of your Semblance?"

"I'm fast." Ruby nodded. "Just ask Jaune, Ren and Nora. I could move so fast that I can leave tornadoes in my wake."

Diana whistled in amazement. "Nice! That sounds super cool!"

"Yeah, if it didn't make me such an easy target." Ruby pouted. "Every time I used it, I could only move in a straight line. It was utterly useless against Mercury when I tried to get away from him and it didn't help me with nearly colliding with a truck either. I'm starting to think something is wrong with me. I can't even do anything without Crescent Rose! Without a team, I'm just second rate…" Ruby had decided to not mention a thing about her silver eyes, believing it for the best.

Diana didn't reply. She merely took in every word Ruby said in her frustration. Ruby just stared at the ground, not bothering to say or do anything until Diana stood up.

"Well, maybe we can figure it out together." Came the Faunus's answer. Ruby now looked up at the Faunus stood, hefting her weapon off her back. "What do you say to a little bit of make-up classes?"

* * *

Ruby twirled her scythe as Diana readied herself some thirty feet away. Jaune, Ren, Nora and a few of the other villagers looked on at the sparring match about to occur.

"Semblance is like a muscle." Diana said to Ruby. "The more you use it, the better it develops. For some however, it takes a little bit more than just practice. You know that Semblance is a part of your Aura, right?"

"Right." Ruby nodded, understanding where this was going.

"And our Aura is a reflection of our own soul." Diana nodded. "For some people, changes upon their soul will change how their Semblance develops."

"Woah… That can happen?" Ruby blinked.

"Well, it won't change your Semblance style at all." Diana explained. "But it can push how your Semblance works and how it develops in a certain direction. How this happens though is something that can't be decided. However, I managed to learn that through battle and through your own experiences, you can define the development more clearly."

"So is this why we are about to spar?" Ruby asked.

"Exactly!" Diana nodded. "So for this case, I want you to use your Semblance on me as much as you can, however you can. Okay Ruby Rose, ready when you are!"

Ruby spun her scythe, poised for an attack. Diana now held her dagger-axe forward, the sharp tip now pointing toward Ruby. Ruby then dashed straight at Diana, a flurry of rose petals billowing behind her. Diana's face flashed with shock for an instant before she brought her weapon up to parry the blow. The force of Ruby's attack knocked her off balance, a moment that Ruby capitalised to torque herself and strike at the back of Diana's head. Diana however, recovered adequately enough to block the blade of Crescent Rose with the end of her weapon. Diana now spun, slashing at Ruby in retaliation. Ruby quickly activated her Semblance again, getting out of Diana's range.

Diana now crouched lower as Ruby prepared her next move. Five seconds passed before Ruby charged in again, rose petals dancing around her. Just as she was about to strike however, Diana swung upwards, deflecting her weapon and launching her high into the air. Ruby flailed for a moment before recovering her bearings, landing square on her feet.

"Well, I can see the slump you are in." Diana nodded. "But now you've seen the current limitations of your Semblance, right?"

"Right…" Ruby panted as she readied herself again.

"Now, let's do that again, only this time, I want you to imagine what you want your Semblance to do to overcome that. With every ounce of willpower that you have, imagine how you want your Semblance to adapt. Remember not to make such a drastic change. It must be something different, but simultaneously something similar to your Semblance's current form."

Ruby frowned as she now thought hard. She had to admit that Diana's words didn't make much sense. How was she supposed to imagine something different, but still the same? Ruby breathed, realising that perhaps she was thinking too much. She thought about her Semblance's current limits, that she could only go in a straight line.

 _Be able to change directions_. Ruby nodded. That had to be a good start. She readied herself once more, into the same stance she had initially used. She pictured it all in her mind, dashing straight at Diana, curving toward the left and then striking with a backhand slash. Ruby focused only on that image, using every ounce of mental effort to keep the image imprinted.

Once more, she dashed forward, using her Semblance to propel herself forward at the Faunus woman. Diana once more readied to parry her attack. Ruby paid that no mind, just referring to the image she had captured in her mind.

Just as she was within Diana's strike zone, Ruby felt something different. She watched as her body veered to her left, at the same speed she was travelling at. She registered Diana's blurry form, her polearm swung upwards but catching nothing while a look of astonishment was on her face.

 _I did it!_ Ruby thought. _I did IIIIIT!_

That was the last thing in her mind before her speed sent her colliding into a tree.

* * *

"RUBY! RUBY WAKE UP!"

"Uhhhhhh…" Ruby groaned as she registered the voices, before the throbbing began. "What was that?"

"That was a very fast and quick collision into local flora." Ren said.

"Oh haha." Ruby moaned. "I actually forgot to laugh at that."

"C'mon guys." Jaune spoke at last. "Let's help her up." Ruby now felt Jaune and Ren slide their arms under her shoulders and haul her to her feet. As soon as the let go, Ruby swayed for a second before bracing herself onto a tree.

"Well, that was definitely something." Ruby winced as an ache flared in her shoulder. "Can't say I enjoy the prospect of that happening again though."

"Agreed." Diana nodded as she reached out to steady the young Huntress. "I think it'd be best if we cut training her for today. But just before we dismiss, was that what you wanted out of your Semblance?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "Except the part of crashing into something."

"Well, that will be work in progress." Diana remarked. "Something I'm sure you'll get to. Alright, break time will soon be over and the caravan will start moving again. Ruby for now will get some R&R aboard the carts. Jaune, bring up the rear. Ren and Nora, take point. Same procedure as before."

"Got it." Replied the members of JNPR.

* * *

The caravan departed, setting down the road and into the town of Lumen. Unbeknownst to them however, a shape was staring at them from the cover of the undergrowth. He stood up, careful not the make any sound and risk giving away his position. For many days now he had stalked them, taking note of anything that had changed. The presence of the Huntsmen had startled him, but otherwise didn't believe it would contribute any risks to their plan.

He pulled out his scroll, calling the number as soon as the caravan had pulled out of his sight. It wasn't long before the call got answered.

"Yes?" Came the voice over the phone.

"The caravan is about to reach the halfway point." He reported. "Got five Huntsmen, 4 of them kids. The adult though, she could be the problem."

"Very well. I'll contact Taurus and update him. For now, we need to stick to the plan. Keep surveillance till we reach the intercept point. If this goes well, we'll be one step closer to our goals." The voice replied.

"Roger." He nodded, the fox ears twitching in anticipation.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, I'm sure everyone has seen the Vol 4 short that just came out. Not gonna lie though, I managed to catch some leaks from RTX 2016. I'm not too happy about the fact that I spoiled myself on what was to come, but it was the way I managed to get material for this chapter. Honestly, I find it quite coincidental that I held off posting this chapter till AFTER that short came out. So, I guess thank you to my procrastinating self that is absorbed into video games and forgetting about fanfic writing so I didn't have to do any spoiling to the larger masses who may not have seen this already.**

 **I must say that it was a particularly new development of what I have seen from the Vol 4. short. The fact remained that when Ruby actually used her Semblance, she could only go in a single direction. However, as you have seen from the short, this time she was bobbing and weaving throughout the air, something she couldn't do before. And if you recall Winter's advice to Weiss on Semblance, for Ruby's to have done that means she has been training it, a lot.**

 **So I asked myself, what if she had someone to give her the nudge or hint for it, and thus this chapter came to be.**

 **Soon enough I'll be finishing up this whole adventure, so bear with me till then and don;t forget to read and comment.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	5. Traitor

The rest of the road travel occurred with few incidents. To prevent what happened with the previous Grimm attack from happening again, Diana took it upon herself to scout the road ahead whenever the caravan stopped for a rest so as to make sure nothing was waiting to ambush them. For her part, Ruby had to assist her in clearing out the Grimm that she had found. It gave her a chance to practise her Semblance, as Diana intended for her to be able to rush back and support team JNPR just in case Grimm attacked the caravan as they were away.

So far, this tactic had worked out. Few times had they stumbled upon Grimm packs that required clearing, though Ruby was thankful that they had no knowledge of the caravan behind them. With the large group of villagers being escorted, she knew it would be a difficult task for just Jaune, Ren and Nora to be able to protect them all. Despite the fact that the villagers could also hold their own, not many were keen on doing battle with the Grimm, and the sight of the monsters would no doubt sprout the seeds of fear in them, fear that would serve as a magnet to any nearby Grimm, who would then worsen the vicious cycle.

Ruby breathed in relief as she walked back to the caravan, glad that the battle was done. She would expect Nora to pester her soon about how many there were, and to be mad that she wasn't there to partake in the fighting.

"Good job there Ruby!" Diana said as she patted the girl on the back. "I saw that turn manoeuvre against the Alpha Beowolf. That was something!" Ruby grinned as she recounted the battle against the final two Grimm. As she charged the Alpha, she banked right, veering for the other. Although she missed the first strike, it had distracted the Grimm long enough for Diana to slay the Alpha, with Ruby finishing off the other almost immediately.

"Thanks." Ruby nodded. "I'm glad that my Semblance is improving, but I still think there is so much more I could do."

"Well, if there is, I'm more than certain that you'll find it." Diana nodded. "For now, I just hope you are happy enough with the fact that there have been changes."

"As long as I'm growing better." Ruby agreed as they made it back to the caravan. By her reckoning, it was almost time for lunch. With the town of Lumen just two days away, the villagers were getting more hopeful and vibrant, ecstatic that they almost to their destination behind the safe walls of the town and to the more secured routes to other cities in Mistral.

She now smelled the fragrant odour of stewed meat and vegetables, no doubt Ren adding the final touches to the villager's recipe. Even the children were getting expectant about the food, though Ruby was sure that no one was more expectant than Diana. Already the rumbling in her stomach was getting prominent. Thankfully, Diana was strong-willed enough to walk on her own to the caravan. Previous times Ruby had no choice but to carry the Faunus woman back to the caravan since the hunger had overpowered her system, the hold releasing only after Diana was mere metres away from the scrumptious meal, after which all would bear witness to the comical sight of Diana wolfing down an entire train's worth of food.

This time however, Diana only appeared satisfied with a small bowl of the stew. It seemed that the Faunus wasn't so hungry this time round. Curious, Ruby sat down next to her. "Not that hungry today?"

"Well, a lady's got to watch her weight." Diana said. "Things get awkward if you just help yourself to an entire buffet line single-handedly. Wesley and the rest had one rule whenever we ate outside, and that was to let me go last. Reigel even got manacles to hold me in place to make sure of that."

"Mana-what?" Ruby exclaimed. "That's rather drastic isn't it?"

Diana huffed. "Well, we weren't the most ordinary team in all of Beacon. Gave plenty of hassle for our teachers too."

"Huh." Ruby blinked. "And what about your parents? I bet they had loads to say about your antics."

At this Diana's face fell, a change that Ruby picked up almost immediately. At once, the girl stared to the ground. "Sorry." Ruby said. "I didn't think I would get into a sensitive territory."

"Huh? Oh no." Diana shook her hand. "It's okay. I'm sure it would be nice to talk about family. Thing is, I don't really have such talk to go around."

Ruby took this all in as she continued with her meal. She wondered if Diana had lost her family to the Grimm at a young age. She wondered if that was the Faunus's motivation to become a Huntress.

"You know…" Ruby looked up to see Diana. "I'm actually pretty impressed Ruby. You kids have been able to take care of yourselves for this long, even before you met me. What have you people been learning at Beacon I wonder?"

Ruby now thought back to recent months, to what she had experienced and felt. "We didn't learn everything from Beacon."

"Huh?" Diana blinked at this revelation.

"Have you ever heard of this thing called the Blood Hunt Order?" Ruby asked.

"First time I've actually heard it." Diana replied.

"It is a group of vagabond Hunstmen." Ruby explained. "They fight the Grimm for revenge, and their culture prizes strength over everything else. We were roped in to help one of them overthrow their old leader, a vengeful fighter called Vanessa Sanguinar. All her beliefs, her words, everything was directed at purging weakness and destroying your enemies. They forged forward through hatred and power while discarding things like compassion and comfort."

"That's where we learned how to survive out here." Ruby said. "They showed us many things, like how incapable we were and how unprepared we are. And, I can't say that their own beliefs hasn't affected the four of us in some way."

"I see." Diana nodded. "Well, sometimes you learn things from other people. It moulds you in ways you will never imagine and soon enough, you can't see things the same way anymore. We all got ghosts like that in our lives."

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "I bet."

"These things…" Diana continued. "They stick with us. No matter how much you try and forget them, they will always be there. But I reckon that it is because these things define you, make you see things in ways you normally wouldn't, make you think things, give you certain values to live by. The real question is how these values drive you down the road you want to walk. How will it change you, and how will it change others as well. I've seen plenty from you and the others, and I know that despite everything, you guys aren't the type of people who will give up so easily. You are going to keep going, and do incredible things. I'm sure you can make a big change for this world."

"And what about you? What defines you?" Ruby asked Diana, who mulled it over for a few minutes before answering.

"I think what defines me is knowing what is right." Diana nodded. "That's all I've ever done, and all I'll ever do."

* * *

They continued the journey, though fate appeared to be more cruel with each step. The caravan had come under attack again, this time only by a small band of Beowolves. Thanks to Diana, they had managed to catch wind of the monsters just before they emerged from the trees, with Jaune and Ruby cutting down three of them as they emerged. Still, such a close encounter was enough to raise alarm among the villagers.

A few more attacks occurred like this, though the number grew smaller with each one. Thanks to them, the Grimm barely made it close to the carts before being struck down. Still, Ruby knew the effect multiple skirmishes had on the security and state of mind of the regular folk. She could feel their nervousness rising, with caution and anxiety fuelling their actions. Continuing like this would end up with them drawing ever more of the creatures to them, and Ruby wasn't so sure if they could keep the casualty count at zero indefinitely.

For her part, she did what she could to keep the kids happy at the very least. The sight of children having fun and laughing always did bring a little bit of ease and comfort to an otherwise weary band. Even if it wasn't much, Ruby hoped that it would prevent too many Grimm from converging on them.

As night fell Ruby helped the villagers with setting up of campfires, their last ones before reaching the town of Lumen. Already she could feel the weariness of the villagers lifting as they realised their destination was only two days away. With a word of thanks from them, Ruby hurried over to their own spot, where Jaune, Ren and Nora were finishing up on dinner preparations.

"In just two days this will be over." Jaune smiled. "These people will be safe when they get to Lumen."

"It will be quite the breather for them." Ren nodded. "They've had quite a turbulent road lately."

"Though I have to admit, these Grimm attacks are getting a bit more and more frequent." Ruby said. "Normally, you don't get so many just going after one caravan. I've got a feeling it's going to become a little more difficult for us on the road ahead."

"Yeah." Jaune agreed. "I have a feeling our journey is going to be a lot more complicated than I thought."

Ruby nodded in silent agreement. Through the silence, her ears now picked up the sounds of tension coming from the nearby cart. With concern now taking over, the four youths rushed over to see the source of the commotion.

"Now Keith, please just calm down." Came the bearded man who had greeted Diana on the first day of her mission. Standing close by was Diana herself and a burly looking man who Ruby had to believe was Keith.

"I'm not keeping quiet about this Mayor!" Keith snapped back. "This Faunus woman is slowly starting to go through our supplies! It doesn't matter if the Grimm do not become the bane of our survival when hunger does."

"And Ms. Urodel has already assured us that she will be keeping a watch on that." The Mayor said. Ruby now understood why Diana had only such a small portion for lunch. Already the food stores were wearing thin.

"It's far too late for that!" Keith yelled back, the argument now capturing the villagers' attention. "We'll likely starve before reaching Lumen! How are we supposed to overcome that?"

At once, murmurs went through the people present, with some agreeing with Keith's words while others merely hurried to get the children away from the commotion. Diana however, remained silent. She paid heed to the man's accusations, but did not show any signs of cowering back.

"I told you Mayor, we should never have trusted a _Faunus_!" Came the next accusation from Keith. And that was the final straw. Diana now sighed, a look crossing over her face that she knew the inevitable had occurred.

"Mayor." Diana sad, catching the bearded man's attention. "If it would be of any use, I could go out to the forest and forage for edible plants. I'm well versed in such matters, so anything I can contribute can help."

Everyone stared at her as she made the offer. Ruby wondered how badly the situation would escalate. True, they might take Diana's offer kindly as a form of repentance, but Diana was also the strongest protector they had. For her to leave wold make it so that they were now more vulnerable.

"We'll stay." Jaune moved to speak, catching the attention of the crowd while gesturing to his teammates. "Diana can go and forage for food with Ruby as back-up. It's dark now, so it will be more dangerous to be alone. Anyone with weapons will have to stand watch till they get back."

Ruby blinked, impressed with Jaune's leadership in the moment. Many of the villagers also nodded in agreement, accepting the idea put forth by him. Upon catching his eye, he suddenly realised why he had chosen her to go with Diana. She could still remember when she had found out about Blake's past with the White Fang, and how it had almost ended horribly wrong. As of now, she was the only person who could probably get through to Diana best.

"Sounds good." Ruby nodded. "You sure you guys will be okay?"

"We can handle it Ruby!" Nora grinned.

Ruby smiled as she nodded towards Diana, who smiled in return. At once, the two of them headed off into the darkness of the trees.

* * *

"Gotta admit, Jaune is a pretty good leader." Diana said as she picked up a few mushrooms, and nodding in satisfaction as she placed it into her makeshift satchel.

"Well, he does have potential." Ruby agreed. "Even after everything he had been through, especially with Pyrrha…"

Diana looked thoughtful for an instant before she finally asked. "Were they, you know… Together or something?"

"Huh?" Ruby blinked, surprise crossing her features as she dropped the foraged plants she was holding. "Uh, well, I-I'm not so sure… I mean, I think they were great as teammates, and Pyrrha did train him loads. And well um…"

Diana chuckled. "So they were huh? They had something more than just being teammates."

"Were they?" Ruby asked, still flustered before she thought about it all. "Yeah, I guess they were."

"And he's trying his hardest for her sake." Diana said. "She believed in him that much huh?"

Ruby smiled, almost embarrassed at her earlier outburst. "Yeah, she did."

Diana resumed picking mushrooms, throwing away some while keeping others. As the silence dragged on between them, Ruby decided to begin. "Sorry about what happened back there. With that man."

"No worries." Diana nodded. "I try to not dwell on them so much."

"But it's still there isn't it?" Ruby asked, to which Diana went still. "I know. Blake was in the same spot as you. She was a Faunus, though we didn't know at first. And well, she was once White Fang."

Diana almost dropped her satchel at the remark, but stayed herself. "Really?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "Since a young age. But after they started walking down a wrong path, she left. She didn't want anything to do with the violence anymore and wanted to be a Huntress. And she was amazing, she tried her hardest to break free of that dark past."

"But then it caught up." Ruby said forlornly. "The White Fang knew who she was with, and they wanted to target them to get to her, the first one being her partner, my sister Yang. And with all that guilt, Blake just left. Even I don't know where she is right now."

"I ask myself if I had been there for her more, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this. If I had just tried to get her to not feel guilty about the White Fang and her past, maybe I could have made her stay…" Ruby said.

Diana frowned. "So is this what you are doing now?"

Ruby sighed. "Caught me huh?"

"Well, it's not that hard to figure out." Diana answered. "When you have been in such scrapes long enough, people who sympathise try their hardest for you and you figure it out. What you are doing, isn't exactly that different."

"Pffft…" Ruby groaned. "Great, so I can't even be someone who can help a Faunus with racial issues. Fantastic."

"But for what it's worth, thanks for trying." Diana smiled. "It's great to know that there are many open-minded people out there."

Ruby nodded her thanks as she continued her foraging in the dark. As she began to feel she had gathered enough, Diana finally spoke.

"Listen Ruby, there is something I need to tell you…" The Faunus woman began. Ruby turned to face her, only to find someone with a white mask standing right behind Diana.

* * *

 _Dammit…_ Jaune grunted as his head throbbed. He didn't expect something like this. He watched as people in white masks rounded up the villagers.

They were White Fang, he was sure of it. Perhaps a different branch than the ones who attacked Beacon, but affiliated nonetheless. He looked upward to see a grunt throttle a man down onto the ground, while other villagers cowered in fear.

"Please!" The mayor replied. "Don't hurt anyone else!"

"Shut it!" Came the leader, one who wore a mask shaped like a lion's head, as he kicked the old man to the ground, who then lay there groaning in pain.

"Boss!" Came another voice. Jaune watched as two more White Fang grunts came from the forest, hauling Ruby and Diana with them. "Found these two in the woods. Figured they were with them."

"Well done." The leader replied. "Put them with the other Huntsmen." Then, as he gazed upon Diana, he seemed to reconsider. "Wait, the lizard Faunus, bring her over."

Ruby watched as they hauled Diana to him and threw her to the ground before they forced her to her knees. "What are you going to do to her?" Ruby yelled at the Faunus extremists, to which she was replied with a vicious backhand to the face.

"What is this?" Came the leader of the group who examined Diana. Ruby watched as he tore a part of her cheongsam dress right at her shoulder. As he did, Ruby could now see a sense of defeat on Diana's face.

"Huh?" He stuttered for a moment as he examined something. Then, he started to laugh, his loud cackling now drawing surprised looks from all in the vicinity.

"I thought we were going to just waltz in and take out a whole caravan and get away with all their loot…" He gloated. "But then we find this? Ha!"

Now he hoisted Diana up on the ground, and everyone could now see her bare right shoulder. Upon the back was a strange mark that depicted a strange mark of a snake coiled around a hand. The snake's fangs were bared upon the thumb, as if ready to bite down upon it. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the mark was outlined with burnt skin.

"What are you going on about?" Ruby growled. "It's just a tattoo!"

"Perhaps to you, but to some Faunus, it holds a special meaning. Such knowledge has been lost since the Faunus War, though some still remember the glyphs of old." The leader chuckled as he reached out and grabbed Diana's hair, holding her head upwards. "It is among ancient marks that only we Faunus would know. Some marks brand some as dangerous, some brands others as weak, some brands with courage, fear or strength."

"But this one?" He gestured to the snake tattoo upon Diana's shoulder. "This one marks a Faunus, as a Traitor…"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well, coming to the end of this story. I hope this one has you at least interested in the direction I'm taking this.**

 **With Faunus being in the world of Remnant for a long time, I thought it would be cool to introduce some ancient tradition that was prevalent back in the history of Remnant, fading out as time and modernization took place.**

 **As always, read and comment.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	6. Burning Wayfarer

Ruby blinked with shock. What did he mean by traitor?

"You lot seem confused, so I'll give the run down." The White Fang leader said as he brandished his own tattoo, one that appeared like a tiger's head flanked with two slash marks. "Some Faunus lived to very strict codes, ancient traditions from a time long since past. Back then, some of us led tribal, nomadic lifestyles and there were many warriors. Sometimes, those who prove their strength were honoured by their families, and branded with marks to show that they were respected, and _feared_."

"For example…" He said as he gestured to his own mark. "This one marks one as fearsome and strong. Others mark with bravery, some with speed, others with wisdom. But there are some marks that degrade an individual, some that shows they are shamed…"

At this, he now hauled Diana up on her knees. "And this one is the worst of all degratory brands. This one is marked as a Traitor."

"No…" Ruby shook her head. "It can't be… She helped us, protected these people…"

"You've been protected by nothing more than a filthy traitorous snake!" He growled as he kicked Diana to the ground. "She is marked this way because she stood against her comrades, betrayed their trust, turned her back on them. And she will do the same to you."

"Tie her up with the others." He bellowed as two other came forward and took her weapon away from her. As they led her to where the villagers cowered, Ruby could see how the people she once protected treated her with suspicion. She could now hear the whispers of the man named Keith, rambling on about how perhaps she had led the White Fang over to them, perhaps so as to get a share of the loot that the Faunus extremists eyed upon.

"Ms. Urodel…" Whimpered the voice of the mayor, the only man that as of now seemed to still trust her. "Please, tell me it isn't true…"

Diana looked up at everyone. Ruby studied her eyes, and saw that those weren't the eyes of one who was ashamed of her brand. Instead, as the soldiers let her go, Diana turned to face the White Fang commander.

"You are right." Diana nodded. "I am marked as a Traitor. I am marked because I turned my back upon those who I was meant to follow. I wonder, how many of you know the name Urodel?"

At this, the Faunus extremists started to murmur among themselves. After a while, one of them gasped. "Wait, Urodel? The same as Shang Urodel? He is among the highest commanders of the White Fang!" The outburst triggered gasps throughout the White Fang Faunus, who now looked at each other in surprise.

"So, you've met my brother." Diana glared. "Tell me, does he talk about me much?"

"I knew it!" The man named Keith snarled. "You _were_ working for these wretched animals! You used up our supplies to weaken us, all so that your mongrel friends could strike at the right time! I should have known we couldn't trust a _Faunus_!"

"Shut up!" One of the White Fang soldiers yelled before he hit him in the head, sending him to the ground while the other villagers cowered in fear.

Diana now stood on her feet, her eyes unwavering as she began. "My family were amongst the greatest sympathisers of the White Fang, even before it became what it is now. We did everything we could to help with the organisation's activities, we helped organise rallies and speeches. We were among the most decorated of Faunus for our efforts."

"But things changed when the White Fang decided that such methods weren't enough, that things had to be more direct." Diana growled. "I hoped that my family would see the madness that crept through the organisation, that they would still be the voice of reason amongst our kind. But my hopes were in vain. My brother Shang approved, as did the rest of my kin. We went from organising protest marches to riots and attacks, from using words to using weapons, from spreading equality to shedding blood."

"I couldn't bear such acts any longer." Diana said. "I confronted them about this, and when I knew they wouldn't be swayed I ran away from them, away from the once luxurious and wealthy life I had known my whole time. That day, I branded this mark upon _my_ own skin. Did it myself, with just a few mirrors and a blazing hot knife."

Ruby's blood ran cold as Diana recounted the tale. She couldn't imagine what that had to be like, having to run away from your own family, and the pain of being alone mixed with the pain of cutting and searing your own flesh.

"My name is Diana Urodel. I am a Traitor to my family and to the White Fang." Diana finished and as she did, a glint of a smile could be seen on her face. "And I couldn't be prouder of that."

Silence carried through the night save for the crackling of the flames. Ruby now regarded Diana with wonderment and awe, along with most of those present. At this, the White Fang commander walked forward and swung a vicious punch at her face, knocking her down completely.

"Tie her up." The White Fang commander said. "When we get rid of them all, she can be the first."

* * *

Ruby watched as the White Fang soldiers now rummaged through the carts, taking whatever they could find from the villagers. She wondered what reason they would have to resort to looting a caravan like this. It was unlike the White Fang to strike at places where they wouldn't leave a mark. Then again, many things may have changed with how they did things.

"Do you have a plan?" Ruby asked Diana, who was tied up right next to her.

"Zilch I'm afraid." Diana grumbled as she looked to her bound wrists. She looked up to see another campfire get lit. It seemed apparent that the cold night air was starting to get to the White Fang. As they did, Diana frowned, her mind working as fast as possible.

"So, you were once White Fang huh?" Jaune asked her.

"I was before they are what they are now." Diana answered. "Now, I don't really care much for their cause."

"Thanks Diana." Ruby whispered. "Thanks for telling us everything."

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this." Diana said. "I wanted us to get this journey over with without my past coming out. Guess I should have known it was unavoidable. People would find out, they always do."

"You're just like Blake." Ruby smiled. "Though she didn't sport any tattoos like yours."

"Not a lot of Faunus carry on the old ways." Diana remarked. "Only those who actually remember those days know these old traditions."

"Was it hard?" Ruby asked. "Leaving your family and being on your own?"

"Quite." Diana nodded, her eyes clouding over as she remembered an obviously painful past. "But I had to do it. I couldn't let myself become filled with hate like they were. There was no other choice except to forsake them all. I bet the similar thing went down with your friend Blake?"

Ruby nodded in silent agreement. She too knew about Blake and what she had to leave behind, all in the pursuit of a better future. And she also knew of the cost that had come with it. "Does your family want to get revenge on you leaving them?"

Diana shook her head. "I never had anything like that. I wandered alone for months before making it to Beacon. I didn't exactly open up till I met Reigel and the others. I guess I was lucky enough that the Fang didn't want to have anything to do with me. I can't answer for what Blake went through, or what she had seen and felt. And I can't say anything about her being alone. For me, that was what I wanted too."

"But at the same time, I think regretting it isn't the right thing to do either." Diana said. "Whatever comes from my past, I'll deal with it. And I'm just glad I had Wesley, Nicole and Reigel to get me through it all. Hopefully, Blake sees that soon enough, and comes back to you all."

"Same here." Ruby nodded. "I want her back. I want my whole team back someday. I want to fight beside them again."

"Well, we may not get there if we stay tied up…" Jaune whispered as he gestured to his bound wrists. "Nora is already trying to bite herself free, but I don't think that is going to be happening anytime soon." As if to make a point, Ruby could now hear the straining of Nora as she fumbled with the thick rope with her teeth. Ruby and Diana snickered as they beheld the comical sight.

"Well, maybe there is a better plan." Diana said. "The punks are setting up campfires, obviously not used to the cold. I already count a third going up. This much fire around? I have something that could tip the edges. But I need my hands for that."

"What is it?" Ruby asked, interested.

"Let's just say it'll be quite the sight." Diana answered. "But to get to the point, I need to get free first."

Ruby now looked around, getting a read on where the White Fang troops were. Thankfully, she spotted only one standing guard by the villagers whilst others rifled through the carts for their goods. Slowly, she looked around, picturing the angles round the small encampment. She also noticed more fires being lit for torches, which now sparked a thought in her mind.

"I have an idea." Ruby said. "But I'll need everyone to move fast when I get started."

"What is it?" Diana asked.

"It's time I put those extra classes to work." Ruby said.

* * *

The White Fang trooper on guard shivered in the cold night air, the flaming torch being the only source of warmth for him. He held the flame closer as the cold ran through him again. As he did, he squinted at the light from the torch.

As he wondered when they would be done, an unseen force knocked him out cold.

* * *

Ruby grinned at her handiwork as she examined the unconscious Faunus. She was glad she had managed to pester Blake about her natural night vision once. Despite the Faunus capable of doing so, even a nearby glaring source of light would be enough to reduce their vision considerably. The lighting of torches and the need for heat was able to supply that well.

Now however, she had to contend with the many other Faunus who had definitely seen her. Ruby watched as an alert was sounded among the others. The White Fang commander now barked orders to a few others, who now readied their weapons and gave chase. Ruby now ran into the woods, the darkness and the trees obscuring her immediately.

"Fan out!" One of the cried. "Find her!"

Ruby activated her Semblance, her newfound dexterity and speed allowing her to weave through the trees easily and create confusion amongst the White Fang. She darted all around them, like a spectre in the darkness. Even with the added lights from the torches that came up, the White Fang could only see her as no more than a blur at the corner of their vision. Ruby smiled as she saw the plan was working, along with how her training had been paying off. Still, she knew she had to focus to avoid crashing into a tree. The last thing she needed was for her idea to get cut off too soon.

 _Hurry guys!_ She thought as she dashed up to a White Fang soldier, slipping around him just before his axe could touch her and knocking him out.

* * *

Diana smiled as the White Fang cleared out just to get to Ruby. Overconfidence had made them careless as they now scrambled to get just one girl and leaving only a small handful of guards behind. Additionally they had ignored one thing, the torch from the one Ruby incapacitated earlier. When she was sure no one was watching, Diana edged her way to the small flame. She winced at the heat, but paid it no mind. She had to get free or there was no getting out of this.

Diana now looked as the ropes caught fire, gritting her teeth as she felt the embers upon her skin. She tuned it all out, the pain, the yelling of the White Fang and the nervousness inside her. Truth be told, she was definitely uneasy about the whole plan. She knew how merciless the White Fang could be against human captives, especially those that liked to resist them to the end. If Ruby were to get caught, she'd be in serious trouble.

"Stand up." Diana froze as she registered the voice and the click of a firearm. Sighing, she did as she was told, watching as the ropes still glowed with the hint of a flame. As she stared the White Fang soldier in the eye, she kept her mind focused on the burning ropes, her face still not showing any hint of the blistering pain.

"Had just about enough of you pathetic humans and traitors…" The White Fang soldier snarled, his pointed teeth showing. "Move it, to the fire. I'll make the rest watch as I blow your brains out."

Diana complied, doing her best to avoid facing him. She headed to the campfire that was set up, grunting as he pushed her down on her knees. Everyone watched with dread as the White Fang soldier pointed the pistol to her head. Diana remained fixated upon the ropes binding her hands, watching as they now frayed away from the flames.

"Any last words, Traitor?" The White Fang Faunus asked.

"Yeah." Diana nodded as she stretched out her fingers, feeling the ebb and flow of the flames. "Do you know there is another name I go by? Want to know what it is?" Diana now exhaled sharply, and the flames from the campfire blew upwards, stunning the soldier who kept her at bay.

"Beacon Academy called me the Burning Wayfarer." Diana said as she spun around, waving her hands. As she did, the other fires exploded all around, the flames now warping and twisting in the air. Everyone looked on, some with shock; others with awe, as the writhing flames transformed into large dragon-like creatures. The White Fang now trembled as the apparitions bared their fiery fangs at them.

"And let me tell you this…" Diana huffed as she stared them down. "I don't take kindly to you guys having a hand in destroying my home. So prepare to get burned…" Without another word, she pushed her arms forward, in doing so sending one dragon apparition after them. The White Fang fired back, only to see their bullets melt away in the heat. Without any option of fighting back, they merely ran away from the flaming maws.

Jaune took the chance, diving forward as another of Diana's pyrokinetic constructs darted at their enemies, the flames singing away the ropes that bound him. Once he was free, he charged straight at another White Fang soldier who had tried to fire upon Diana's back, tackling him to the ground before knocking him out with a punch. He then rushed to where their weapons were, taking his sword and Diana's polearm. Once he had tossed the polearm at Diana's feet, he moved to Nora and Ren, unsheathing his blade to free his teammates. Nora laughed triumphantly as she reached for Magnhild, immediately unloading round after round at the White Fang. The Faunus scattered amidst the explosions and fire that now decimated their morale.

"Let's go!" Ren said as he freed the last villager, leading them away from the battlezone. Jaune looked back, ensuring that no one had been left behind. As he turned away, he detected movement from the corner of his eyes, ducking immediately. He heard the sound of a blade slice into wood, no doubt one of the carts. Jaune rolled and got back up again to face the White Fang commander, who had a look of absolute rage on his face.

"I've had enough of you all…" He growled. "Time for you all to die…"

Jaune hefted his shield, ready to do battle as the Faunus removed his sword from the cart it was embedded in. The Faunus swung at his head, Jaune responding by raising his shield and parrying the blow. Jaune now swung back in retaliation, but the Faunus broke away and avoided the strike. Jaune followed up with and overhead strike, the Faunus now bringing up his own sword to block him. Jaune now watched as the Faunus raised his leg, instinctively raising the shield to block. Jaune felt the kick now force him backwards as the Faunus recovered.

Then Jaune heard a battlecry. He turned to see Keith now charging down the Faunus commander with a small axe. "No! Don't!" Jaune cried, but it was too late. The Faunus easily disarmed the villager and threw him to the ground, holding him up by his neck.

"Back off!" The Faunus grinned sickly. "Or this one gets it!"

Jaune grunted in defeat, dropping his sword and shield to the ground. The Faunus smiled, content that Jaune had disarmed himself.

"How selfless of you, little boy." He taunted. "I wonder if you will be remembered this way."

"I'm not going anywhere." Jaune said as his eyes darted to the right. The Faunus now followed his eyes to see rose petals dancing in the wind, the red petals appearing almost black amidst the orange hue to the flames.

Without warning, Ruby dropped from above, kicking the Faunus to the ground and giving time for his hostage to escape. Jaune immediately picked up his weapons, quickly cutting Ruby's arms free. "Nice timing." He commented.

"Good moves." Ruby grinned as the Faunus recovered.

"You are going to regret that!" He growled as he advanced on the two teens. Jaune leapt backwards while Ruby charged in, her newfound ability with her Semblance causing her to slip past the White Fang commander.

"Stay still!" The Faunus roared in anger as Ruby appeared again, her figure standing against the glare of flames. "This ends now!"

"Agreed!" Ruby nodded as she charged him again, her Semblance now speeding her toward him. The Faunus now raised his sword to strike a final blow, his reach allowing the blade to reach Ruby. Jaune watched with dread as the blade sliced down toward her.

Then, he watched as Ruby's body _split_. Instantly it appeared as if Ruby's blurry form divided itself into two, completely avoiding the Faunus's weapon before merging together again behind him. Ruby crouched low before leaping forward and slamming her foot into his back. The Faunus tumbled and grunted as he hit the dirt. As he recovered, he looked upward to see three dragonic apparitions made out of pure fire staring down at him. He trembled as Diana now came forward, the flames dancing around her body.

"W-Wait…" He pleaded as Diana looked at him. Despite the heat all around, there was a slight coldness in her eyes.

"Sorry, but I'm in a bit of a rush." Diana replied before slamming her fist down. At once the flaming dragons dived toward him, and the White Fang commander screamed as they burst apart in a spectacular display of fire that momentarily blinded everyone.

Once the glare was gone, Ruby opened her eyes to find Diana standing over a passed out White Fang. She looked around, amazed to find that despite the torrent of flames that had thrashed about just minutes ago, none of the carts were damaged. Not even the forest floor had been burned.

"Tie this guys up." Diana said as she started with the commander. "Then look for whatever supplies they have and get what you can from them. We still have a long journey ahead of us."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well, we're coming to the end of this fic. I hope I have been able to fill in the adrenaline sections of this story properly with this one last chapter.**

 **I'm still hyped for the release of Vol. 4, and hopefully it comes with plenty of ideas for me. Till then, read and comment.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	7. Ever Onward

Ruby sighed with relief as the caravan finally reached the town of Lumen. At last the villagers were safe, unexposed to the dangers out in the wilderness. Ruby smiled as the children waved her and the others goodbye. Ruby waved back, tearing up slightly as she saw their smiles. At once, she was reminded of her real reason to be a Huntress, where gratitude was the best reward she could receive.

She watched as Diana and the villagers made up, with the chief now thanking her for her services. Diana shook his hand in return before walking over to the four teens.

"Well, I must say that was a job well done." Diana smiled. "As promised, part of my cut goes to you. After all, you guys are going to need it for the journey you have ahead of you."

"Thanks Diana." Ruby smiled. "For everything."

"The payout will help us get some much needed ammo and food supplies." Ren nodded. "Though the rations from the White Fang will be able to last us for quite a while too."

"They can't replace pancakes though!" Nora chimed in.

"Agreed." Jaune laughed.

"Anyways, I must say you guys were amazing." Diana smiled. "I can see why you were accepted into Beacon. Especially you Ruby."

"No kidding." Jaune nodded. "I saw what you did in that final fight with that White Fang Faunus. How did you just split apart anyway?"

"No clue." Ruby shrugged. "I just thought that I was going to take him down, though I also remembered my training with Diana, how I wanted my Semblance to change."

"Well, like I said, your Semblance is something that can be altered by your own will, even if the chance is near zero." Diana said. "This is just a guess, but I think you weren't the type to figure out your fight style much."

Ruby chuckled. "Yeah. Till I was in Beacon, I wasn't the kind to have strategy or whatnot."

Diana smiled. "Spot on. You were one to just rush into loads of things. However, with the training you underwent with me, my best guess is that both your old mindset and the new things I've taught you changed your Semblance in that way. That sound about right?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "That could be just right. I guess there isn't really a need to change my fighting style."

"Well, keep doing what you've been doing for the past few days, and I'm sure you'll work something out." Diana said.

"Thanks Diana." Ruby nodded. "I suppose this will be goodbye?"

"Well, not right yet." Diana replied. "You still need to look around for information, and you will probably get it faster with someone like me. Trust me when I say, I have ways with these people."

Ruby now thought back to the title that Diana had inherited from Beacon, the Burning Wayfarer. It wasn't hard to figure out why she was called that, considering her pyrokinetic Semblance and her previous wandering lifestyle, though Ruby was shocked to find out how Diana had a habit of just leaving the safety of her dorm just to walk around alone in the city of Vale, even in the seediest of places. Still, she reckoned that was how Diana was so hard to find, even among her own family.

 _No_. Ruby reminded herself. Diana found family at Beacon, a place where she could finally be with people who cared for her. She hoped that one day, that place would be restored to its former state. But she knew that the only way that would happen was to carry on her journey.

"Besides…" Diana frowned. "Have you all taken a look at yourselves lately?"

Ruby blinked in curiosity. Looking downward, she saw why. Her clothes were even more of a shambles before they started this whole tirade. Save for her skirt, everything else was torn. Her sleeves were now ripped apart and had charred ends. Her stockings had more holes than ever while her blouse sported more frayed threads than she could imagine. Even her boots looked worn down, with a few splotches here and there, no doubt caused by her battles in the woods. Her cloak also seemed to have seen better days with the torn ends, though Ruby wasn't bothered, the roughed up appearance made her look cooler. But Diana was right, she couldn't keep travelling looking like this.

"So, where can you recommend?" Jaune asked as he looked at his torn jeans and damaged shoes.

* * *

After a while, they had found one of the best stores in town that sold a large variety of clothing. Thankfully, it also accepted donations from its patrons, meaning what was good about their current clothing would at least be put to use by someone else.

Ruby had seen a particularly good outfit the minute she walked in, a white high-neck décolletage blouse that came with a black corset. Diana also showed her the straps on the back, which would be perfect for carrying her backpack. Seeing no other outfit she could take an interest in, Ruby went to fit it on.

As she stood in the changing room, she saw a pair of boots get shoved in below the curtain.

"Thanks Diana." Ruby sad as she removed her old clothes, taking time to look at them before she put them down. She had worn that outfit on so many different occasions. Her time in Signal, her Beacon initiation, her first mission, the Vytal festival. But that was all in the past now. Change was inevitable, and she had to embrace it to go forward.

"Hey, no problem." Diana said past the curtain.

Ruby now slowly put the new clothes on, relieved to know that they fit. As she fumbled with the corset, Diana spoke again. "I'm going to be looking for the White Fang." The Faunus woman said with a certain edge to her voice. "They have a lot to answer for."

Ruby nodded. "If you happen to meet Blake, tell her I miss her, and where I am."

"Will do." Diana said. "I'll do it for the rest of your team too, if I happen to see them. But still, don't count on it. Remnant is a big place, and even I can't go everywhere that quickly."

"You got it." Ruby replied as she put the leggings on. They only went up to her thighs, but she supposed there was nothing better.

"You will go a long way Ruby." Diana said. "But never forget that you aren't alone in this fight. As long as you keep going onward, I'm sure you'll find a way to fix everything."

"Thanks Diana." Ruby smiled. "I'm glad we met you."

"Same here." Diana said. "I've never told my story to anyone else save for my team. But now, I think I don't have to be so reserved about it anymore. I'm glad I met you Ruby. As a side note, how do you feel now? Still have doubts?"

Ruby paused as she fingered the boots, thinking about how the past few days had gone. Before, she had felt reserved about this path she had to take, this journey that she was now involved in. Now, she didn't know if she was sure of everything. But she was sure that there were no more doubts left in her heart.

"No." Ruby said as she put the boots on. "I'm more confident now, with all that I've been able to do. I can't forget the pain from the past, but I know now that it'll drive me ever onward to see it doesn't happen again. My fight hasn't ended yet, so I can't stop."

"I like that attitude. But anyways, enough of business talk. Are you going to show me the new look of Ruby Rose?" Diana asked. Ruby now put the boots on, staring at herself in the mirror, she studied her reflection again, especially her silver eyes. And she saw that they weren't filled with uncertainty anymore.

She pulled back the curtain, revealing herself to Diana. "How do I look?" Ruby asked.

Diana grinned. "Like a Huntress. Ready to go out there and kick butt?"

Ruby now fastened Crescent Rose to the back, where the magnetic clip was upon her belt. "You know it." She answered.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And that's that! The end of this first time-skip fic is done.**

 **I have plenty more ideas, but I'm going to have to wait for the release of Vol. 4 to properly get them sorted out. Till then, I hope you've enjoyed this little story.**

 **Jdbl00d.**


End file.
